Lily Simonson: Painting the Deep

February 22 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Glowing under black lights, California artist Lily Simonson’s luminescent paintings embody a synergy between art and science that reveals new ways of seeing and understanding life forms in the deep ocean. Lily Simonson: Painting the Deep presents six original mural-sized paintings that literally glow with luminescent pigments and together create an immersive visual experience in which light and color materialize out of a sea of darkness, giving form to a hidden alien universe. Through her extraordinary art, Simonson envelops us in this astonishing world, invites us to share in the excitement of exploration and discovery, and challenges our preconceptions of what it is to be alive. Simonson’s work is inspired by explorations of deep-ocean life made in collaboration with Harvard University professor Peter Girguis. Simonson’s art reflects a passion for the process of science, deep affection for the natural world, and dedication to seeking out and “bringing to light,” the beauty and mystery of places and life forms little known and rarely seen. The exhibition opens on Saturday, June 30, 2018 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, one of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, and will remain open through May 30, 2019. It will be located next to the Sea Creatures in Glass exhibition of Blaschka glass models.